1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antitheft device for a product display case to be exhibited in a store that prevents a product therein from being stolen by thieves such as shoplifters. The antitheft device comprises a locking mechanism provided in the display case for locking the same in a closed condition and a unlocking device separate from the display case which unlocks the locking mechanism to open the display case.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, at various retail stores etc., a security tag is affixed to an exhibited product in order to prevent it from being stolen. If the product affixed with the security tag is being taken out the store, a detecting apparatus provided at the exit will raise an alarm for preventing the theft.
However, since the security tag is adhered to the product surface, the antitheft will not be effected if the tag is peeled off before taking the product out the store.
For this reason, products such as cosmetics in a drug store, for example, are not displayed, but only empty packing cases thereof such as paper boxes are displayed. If a customer brings the empty packing case at a checkout counter for purchasing the product, a salesclerk puts the product into the packing case and delivers it to the customer.
However, a customer usually hesitates to buy a product only by checking an empty packing case without viewing the real product.
The theft problems as mentioned above are to be solved in various stores including a rental video shop etc., and the inventor has already proposed antitheft devices for video-disc display cases. According to such antitheft device of a video-disc display case, the case is locked in a closed condition by a locking mechanism. If a customer brings the display case at a checkout counter, a salesclerk unlocks the locking mechanism by using a unlocking device to make the display case openable and then delivers it to the customer.
In case of the video-disc display case, the locking mechanism is locked by a key inserted in the display case. The key is pulled out from the case with the unlocking device which unlocks the locking mechanism. As a result, a large number of keys pulled out these cases will be piled on the checkout counter. Accordingly, there is a problem of requiring subsequent arrangement and maintenance of those keys piled on the counter.